Magazine for firearms.



Patented Sept. 2, |902.

L. ryan/uca. J MAGAZINE Fon FmEAnms.

h (App n led Sept. 16, P901.)

(No Mo'del.)

' l'UNT-Tan" STATES PATENT rricn.

LUcmN F. BRUCE, oFsPfnNeFmLD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAGAZINE FRiFIREA-RIVI S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,311, dated September 2, 1902. Application filed Septemberl, 1901.. Serial Ne.*75,507. No model.)

To all whom, it r11/ty concern:

Be it known-that I, LUCIEN F. BRUCE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Springfield, inthe county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts,h`ave invented certain new and useful Improve-y ments in Magazines for Firearms, of which theY following isa full, clear,-andexact description.

This invention relates to improvements in the magazines of military rines-such, for instance, asfthe Mauser or thenew military rifle now in course of construction by the United States Government at the Springfield arsenal. p

The type of magazine to 'which the invention pertains is characterized by the inclusion therein offa spring-supported follower or platformhaving the capabilityof an up-LA ward-and-downward motionwith' and. against;

accomcartridges which are understood as hftvingV been brought thereby in position over the magazine being alsoA shown, it being understood that the cartridges are shown as in the act of being forced downwardly into the magazine.

Fig. 2 shows a slight modification.

It being perceived in the magazine shown that the follower or'spring-supported platform a, is carried at the upper leaf of the spring b, the Several leaves of which have zigzag-relations, andit being understood that the pressure in -the downward direction against the row of cartridges :nto force them down into the magazine-chamber d is usuallyat about'the point 'y adjacent the clip ,e and near the rear end portion of the Vmagazine Yand of the follower a therein, such pressure naturally exerts the tendency to tilt the follower by its rear end downwardly and its forward end upwardly, correspondingly upwardly tilting the cartridges, so that the last or upper cartridge and sometimes the last two cartridges have their forward ends so far elevated as not to be brought for retention substantially level in the magazine to be thrown by thebolt with certainty into the `barrel and it is the object of this invention to provide within the wall, at the rear portion of the magazine-chamber, an abutment or shoulder against which a rear end portion of the followermay impinge, and which abutment m0- mentarily constitutes a fulcrum for the follower, so that the further downward pressure imparted against the pack of cartridges and through them to the follower will insure properly. the depression of the follower and the cartridges, this provision, however, in no wise interfering with the facility of the introduction of all ofthe cartridges entirely into the magazine-chamber.

"Particularly referring to the drawings, f represents the rear wall, and g the forward wal/l, of the magazine`,and hthe plate which constitutes the base thereof, and to the said base-plate the lower leaf of the spring is engaged, the upper leaf being engaged with the follower, and all so that by the several intermediate spring-leaves, as required for proper range of distention, the floated follower is susceptible of quite wabbly motions.

The rear wall fof the magazine-chamber suitably well down toward the bottom is provided with the ledge or shoulder t', forwardly protruding, the wall continuing from said shoulder to the base of the magazine being about vertical, as indicated at j, or in any u there may be ample space for occupancy of the cartridges in the bottom of the` magazine, the forward wall g at the lower portion thereof, as indicated at fm, is recessed or freed out.

The means for acquiring the greater cer- ICO tainty or reliability in the introduction of the cartridges into the magazine described and explained adds little, if anything, to the labor and cost of construction and has been found in practice to be entirely efficient.

To facilitate ease of the action between the abutment and the rear end of the follower, the abutment may be constituted by a roller i2, as shown in Fig. 2, or the contacting end portion of the follower might be constituted by a roller.

Having thus described myinventiom'what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a magazine for firearms of the character described, the magazine-case having the loosely-mounted and spring-supported follower therein and having its rear end wall provided ata distance below its top, and somewhat above its bottom with a forwardly-'protruding shoulder, against which the rear end portion of the follower in its descending movement may contact, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a magazine for firearms, of the character described, the magazine-case having the loosely-mounted and spring-supported follower therein, and having its rear end wall provided with a forwardly-protruding shoulder or ledge, at a distance above the bottom of the magazine-chamber, and said rear wall at all points below said ledge being as forwardly prominent as the ledge..

3. In a magazine of the character described, the magazine-case having the loosely-mounted and spring-supported follower therein, the rear end of which is adjacent the rear wall of the case, and said rear wall being provided, above its bottom,with a forwardly-protruding shoulder; said rear wall below said shoulder being as forwardly prominent as the shoulder, and the lower portion of the forward wall of the chamber being forwardly recessed for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, this 7th day of September, 1901.

LUCIEN F. BRUCE.

Witnesses:

MAGGIE N. BRUCE, WM. S. BELLoWs. 

